Draw and buffer gear for railway and other vehicles.



J. LEVICK, JR. DRAW AND BUFFER GEAR FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES.

v APPLICATION nuzo NOV. 21, 1914.

1,166 Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. LEVICK, 1R. DRAW AND BUFFER GEAR FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHiCLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1914.

q 0 m w a, W w 0 0 i 8 m o o wz W m m I\ O 0 N %m R y m M n a w w owe OO R M D1 O O o o x @W o O M WW ll'lhlllTl E swans @FFllQlE.

JQI-IN LEVIGK, 33., OFHAfDTDS'WORTI-I, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

DIR-AW AND BUFFER GEAR FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES.

Application filed. November 21, 1914.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN LnvIoK, Jr., subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at (3 Robert road, Handsworth, Bir mingham, England,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw and BufferGear for Railway and Other Vehicles, of which the followingisaspecification.

This invention relates to draw-gear and buffer gear for railway andother vehicles, said draw and buffer being of that type in which thepull. upon the coupling hooks or thrust upon the buffer members aretransmitted to the vehicle through the medium of a helical or volutecoiled spring surrounding the draw-bar or buifer rod and bearing againsta nut, disk, or other abutment on said draw-bar or buffer rod. When thespring is compressed it tends to rotate and to cause the draw-bar orbuffer rod. and coupling member to turn or twist owing to the frictionbetween the said spring and the abutment on the said draw-bar or butterrod.

The object of the present invention is to obviate this tendency of thedraw-bar or buffer red to turn or twist when the pressure comes upon thespring, which said object it is proposed to attain by the employment ofa roller or ball thrust bearing between the spring and the abutment onthe draw-bar or buffer rod, so leaving the spring free to unwind. Theball or roller bearing is confined between two race plates or washers,one of which engages directly with the end of the spring, while theother bears against a nut or other abutment on the drawbar or bufferrod.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents, in plan, theapplication of the invention to the draw gear of a railway vehicle. Fig.2 is a longitudinal section through the draw spring. Fig. 8 illustratesthe application of the invention to a combined draw and buffer gear.Fig. 4 illustrates the invention as employed in connection with acombined draw and buffer gear having helical springs. Fig. 5 representsa device which may be employed for adjusting the distance between theball races. Fig. 6 shows another method of holding the race platestogether and adjusting the distance between them.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each ofthe figures 0f the drawings.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. as, 1915.

Serial No. 878,396.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the drawbar 1, carrying the coupling hook atits outer end, passes through the transverse member 3 of the vehicle,and its inner end, which extends beyond the said member 3, sur roundedbya rolute-coiled or helical draw spring a supported at its larger endwithin a. socket 5. Screwed upon the extremity of the draw-bar 1 is anut 6, while interpos d between this nut and the spring at are two looseplates or washers 7, 8,'the one 7 hearing against the face of the nutand the other 8 engaging directly with the end of the spring. Betweenthese plates 7, 8, there is provided a ring of anti-friction balls 9which engage with annular races, 1O, 11, formed respectively in theopposed faces of the two plates, thus forming a ball thrust hearing. Theplates 7, 8, are held together by keys 12 passed through lugs 18 uponthe plate 8, their outer ends being bent over. When the pull comes uponthe draw-bar it is transferred through the nut 6, washer or plate '7,balls 9 and plate 8, to the spring 4', which is thus compressed, but thecoils, in turning, merely rotate the first plate 8 a few degrees, theball bear-h1g9 preventing the motion being transmitted to the washer 7and the draw-bar, which latter consequently remains entirelyuninfluenced by the compression of the spring.

To provide for adjustment of the hearing by increasing the distancebetween the race plates 7, 8, adjusting screws 14, as shown in Fig. 5,may be employed, same being carried by one of the plates and having aplain rounded end engaging with a groove in the other plate.

Instead of employing keys for holding the race plates 7-8, togetherscrews 15 (Fig. 6) may be passed through the lugs 1.8 so that theirplain ends engage with an annular groove 16 in the periphery of theplate 7. As shown, the one side of this groove may be inclined, so thatby tightening up the screws 15 more or less the bearing ma be adjustedas required.

Fig. 3 shows the application of the invention to a combined draw andbuffer gear. The rod 1 constitutes a draw-bar or butterrod according towhether it receives a pull or a thrust, at its outer end being providedwith a buffer member 18 and also with a suitable coupling device. Theinner end of the said rod is surrounded by the volutecoiled draw spring4; which takes a bearing vention when helical springs are used.

upon the race plate 8 separated from the plate 7, as in the previouscases, by the ball thrust bearing 9. The plate 7, which engages with thenut 6 on red 1, is shown as being provided with a long boss 19 whichsupports the spring. Upon the outside of the headstock or frame 3 abutter spring 20 is provided, similar to the spring 1, and at its outerend it engages with a. plate 21 separated' from the plate by theball-bearing 28, said plates 21, 22 being arranged and held togetherexactly as in the case of the race plates 7, 8, of the draw-gear. Theplate 22 engages with a shoulder 24; on the rod 1. WVhen a pull isexerted upon the rod 1 the draw-spring 4: is compressed, rotation of thesaid rod being prevented by the ballbearing 9, while when two vehiclescome together and a thrust or push is exerted upon the rod 1 the bufferspring 20 is compressed, the bearing 23 preventing rotation of the saidrod 1.

Fig. 1 shows the application of the in- 1 is the draw-spring and 20 isthe butter spring, both surrounding the draw-bar or bufler rod 1, whichcarries a butter and coupling at its outer end. Plates 7, 8, separatedby ballbearings 9 are interposed between spring 4 and the nut 6, andsimilar plates 21, 22, and

7 bearing 23 are interposed between spring 20 and a shoulder on therod 1. The ball-bearing washers or plates can also be applied to othertypes of draw or buffer gear having coiled springs.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a draw and butter gear for vehicles, the combination, with a drawbar, of a fixed abutment on said bar, a coil spring surrounding the drawbar, two race plates loosely mounted between said spring and fixedabutment, and anti-frictional members interposed between said raceplates.

2. In a draw and buffer gear for vehicles. the combination, with a drawbar, of a fixed abutment on said draw bar, a coil spring surroundingsaid draw bar, two race plates between said spring and said abutment,anti-frictional members between said race plates, and means for holdingsaid race plates together.

3. In draw and butter gear for vehicles,

the combination with the draw-bar or butter rod, of a fixed abutmentthereon, a coiled spring surrounding the said draw-bar or butler-rod,two race plates between the spring and abutment, a ball or rollerbearing between the ace plates, and means for holding the race platestogether comprising lugs on one of the plates and keys passed throughthe lugs.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN LEVICK, J11.

Witnesses:

Hnxny Non'roN Mumua'rr, \VILLIAM STAITES SKERRETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

